Candy novelty

ABSTRACT

A hollow container formed of edible chocolate and having an upwardly presented opening adapted to receive articles to be carried in the container. The container has an inturned lip around the opening and is provided with a means for carrying the container including an elongated strip type handle and a handleanchoring member formed of sheet material and having an edge thereof engaged under the lip formed around the container opening.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Paul H. Dubble D.89,224 2/1933 ThomasDl/IO Reading, Pa. 2,166,265 7/1939 Ressinger. 229/43 [21] Appl. No.803,145 3,030,002 4/1962 Ringler 229/52 AL [22] Filed Feb. 28,19693,366,077 1/1968 Gardner 99/138 [73] Assignee Court Candies, lnc.

Reading, Pa. 1,017,896 1/1966 Great Britain 229/52 AL PrimaryExaminerFrank W. Lutter Assistant Examiner-William L. Mentlik CANDYNOVELTY Attorney-Synnestvedt & Lechner 2 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 99/138 R, 99/171 R, 220/20, 220/60 R, 220/94 R, 229/43,229/52 AL [51] Int. Cl A23g 1/22, ABSTRACT: A hollow container formed ofedible chocomc 8 1/20 and having an upwardly presented opening adaptedto receive [50] Field of Search 99/138; articles to be can-[ed in thecomainer The container has an 229/43,52 U 10, 11, 220/20, 60,94 turnedlip around the opening and is provided with a means for carrying thecontainer including an elongated strip type [56] References cled handleand a handle-anchoring member formed of sheet UNITED STATES PATENTSmaterial and having an edge thereof engaged under the lip D.57,l772/1921 Winder.. Dl/ll formed around the container opening.

PATENTED sP21 1971 3 607,366

SHEET 2 BF 3 CANDY NOVELTY This invention relates to novelties adaptedfor sale in the candy trade and is particularly concerned with a noveltyin the form of a container adapted to receive articles and having ahandle of simple construction adapted for ready application to andremoval from the container.

In a typical embodiment according to the invention, the noveltycomprises an Easter basket which, as is customary is adapted to befilled with one or more candy Easter eggs. Such Easter baskets havecommonly been formed of wicker, plastic or fiberboard which are commonlysold with one or more candy Easter eggs, and after consumption of thecontents of the basket, the basket is ordinarily discarded. Such basketshave also been molded of chocolate, including an integrally moldedhandle. While the chocolate baskets may be more attractive than thosemade of wicker, plastic or fiber, a molded chocolate handle is notpractical because it does not have sufficient strength and will alsosoften in the hand.

According to the present invention it is contemplated to provide anovelty of the type above-referred to in which the body of the Easterbasket is molded of chocolate and in which a simple, secure andinexpensive nonchocolate handle is provided which is readily assembledwith the chocolate basket and readily detached therefrom when it isdesired to consume the basket. The handle arrangement is adapted tointerengage with an inturned lip molded around the top of the basket.

According to another aspect of the invention a novel form of split moldis provided for molding hollow containers such as Easter baskets with aninturned lip around the basket opening.

The invention is also adaptable to various other novelties in the formof containers as will be seen from the following description referringto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an Easter basket constructed accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the basket ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the handle and handle anchoringarrangement employed in accordance with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a multiple mold arrangement for moldingchocolate baskets in the form illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a view of the molding apparatus of FIG. 4 taken at rightangles to FIG. 4 and having a portion broken away and shown in sectionin order to illustrate the molding operation being carried out by thisapparatus;

FIG. 6 is a partial elcvational and partial vertical sectional view ofanother embodiment of novelty according to the invention, thisembodiment being in the form of a molded chocolate .lack-0Lantern;

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a handle adapted to be employed in theembodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view of the handle anchoring device used in FIG. 6-, and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are views illustrating the adaptation of features of theinvention to still other forms of container novelties, which are alsocontemplated to be molded of chocolate, FIG. 9 being in the form of anegg and FIG. 10 in the form ofa boot.

Turning first to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the basketthere shown has a bottom wall 11 and an upwardly flared sidewall 12. Theopening at the top of the basket is pro vided with an inturned lip 13. Abasket in this form may readily be molded in the manner described belowwith particular reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

The basket handle is indicated at 14, this handle desirably comprising astrip of fiberboard, plastic or heavy paper. The handle is adapted to beanchored to the basket by means of an anchor member 15 formed of sheetmaterial which may comprise cardboard or plastic having flexibility andstiffness characteristics approximating those of cardboard, so that theanchoring member 15 may be flexed or dished downwardly in the center asis clearly indicated in FIG. 2 and thereby inserted into the upperportion of the basket, and then released so that the edge of theanchoring member will project outwardly under the lip I3 of the basketand thereby interlock with the chocolate basket. To facilitate thisdownward flexing or dishing of the anchor member 15. certain radiallyarranged cuts are desirably provided in the member 15, two such cutsbeing shown at 16 in FIGS. 1 and 3 at generally diametrically oppositepoints. These cuts are preferably more than mere slots, so that a smalltapered section of sheet material is cut away in order to accommodatethe flexing action.

At diametrically opposite points the anchoring member 15 is alsodesirably notched out as indicated at 17 and the ends of the handle 14are provided with projections or lugs 18 to provide an interlocking fitbetween the ends of the handle and the anchoring member 15, as willreadily be understood from examination of the drawings.

The foregoing basket and handle arrangement provides an exceedinglysimple and yet secure handle anchoring means and the handle andanchoring member may not only be readily inserted but may also bereadily removed when it is desired to consume the basket. As will beseen from FIGS. 1 and 2. the anchoring member 15 serves also as a dishedreceptacle for receiving articles to be carried in the basket, forinstance the Easter eggs indicated at I9.

Although a basket of the kind indicated in FIGS. I and2 may be molded ofchocolate in any of a variety of ways, it is preferred to mold suchbaskets in molds having multiple chambers formed therein in the mannerindicated in FIG. 4. In these figures there are shown two mold halves2020 which have abutting fastening flanges 21, the two mold halves beingmirror images of each other. Instead of providing a plane of splitbetween the two mold halves lying between the lips 13 of the two basketsbeing formed, the plane of split between the mold parts 2020 is at rightangles to the lips 13. Each of the mold halves 20 is provided with aninternal flange as indicated at 22 permanently secured to each other andserving to define the upper surfaces of the inturned lips 13 beingformed on the two baskets being molded.

Some form of clamp such as indicated at 22a may be employed to fastenthe flanges 21 and thus the mold halves 20 to each other.

In a molding operation, a charge of chocolate in liquid form is placedwithin one of the mold parts and the two mold parts are then assembledand then are slowly turnedor tumbled, preferably in several directions.It is contemplated that the rate of turning be sufficiently low so thatno appreciable centrifugal force is present, and in consequence, theliquid choco late gradually solidifies on all of the interior surfacesof the mold parts.

When the chocolate is solidified, the mold halves are separated fromeach other and from the baskets.

Because of the plane in which the mold is split, the baskets and themold halves may be separated without separate removal of the flangeelements 22, as would be required if the mold was split in the planelying between the inturned lips which are molded around the top of thebaskets.

The two baskets may then be readily separated from each other byinsertion of a knife into the peripheral channel formed by the flanges22. In this way a simple and effective method and apparatus is providedfor molding baskets in pairs having the desired inturned lips 13 forcooperation with the anchoring members 15 by means of which the handles14 are secured to the baskets.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 a chocolate JackO- Lantern 23 isprovided, having a central opening at the top with a surrounding lip 24adapted to interlock and cooperate with a container carrying arrangementnow to be described. Here a handle 25 is provided, again being in theform of a strip. The handle anchoring member here takes the form of apiece of sheet material 26, as shown'in FIG. 8, having central cut outsforming a narrower strip which may be bent to provide handle fasteninglug 27. The sheet element 26 further is provided with similar lug parts28 at its ends. In use, this anchoring device is curved to tubular orgenerally cylindrical shape, and when this is done the end tabs 28 arebrought together in side-by-side relation and then inserted into one ofthe slots 29 formed at the two ends of the handle strip 25. Lug parts 27and 28 are all desirably shaped to have a downwardly projecting'ear 30so as to provide an interlocking action with the handle when the weightof the article is carried on the handle.

The tubular or cylindrical anchoring member 26 may readily be insertedinto the opening at the top of the container, and then the upper edge ofthe tubular element may be engaged under the lip 24, thereby completingassembly of the arrangement.

The anchoring member here may also serve as a container for receivingarticles to be carried.

The embodiment of FIG. 9 is much like that of FIG. 6 insofar as thehandle and handle anchoring arrangement is concerned, but here thenovelty is shown in the form of a chocolate egg 3] having an opening inthe top with an inturned lip 32 with which a handle and handle anchoringmember much like that of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 may be used.

. Similar comments are applicable to the embodiment of FIG. 10 in whichthe novelty is in the form of a molded chocolate boot 33 having aninturned flange 34 around the boot opening. Again the handle and handleanchoring arrangement of the type shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 may be used.

I claim:

I. A novelty of the kind described comprising a container formed ofedible chocolate, the container having an upwardly presented openingadapted to receive articles to be carried in the container, thecontainer having an inturned lip around said opening, a sheet offlexible material extended across the container opening with its edgesengaged under the inturned lip around the opening, said sheet beinglarger than said opening and being dished downwardly into the containerwhen its edge is engaged under the lip thereby defining a dishedreceptacle for receiving articles to be carried thereon, and means forcarrying the container comprising a handle having end portionsprojecting downwardly into the opening in the container and means forconnecting the handle to said sheet of flexible material.

2. A novelty of the kind described comprising a container formed ofedible chocolate, the container having an upwardly presented openingadapted to receive articles to be carried in the container, thecontainer having an inturned lip around said opening, a sheet offlexible material extended across the container opening with its edgesengaged under the inturned lip around the opening, said sheet beinglarger than said opening and having radially extending peripherallyspaced cuts in the edge of the sheet so that the sheet may be disheddownwardly into the container with its edge engaged under the lip andthereby define a dished receptacle for receiving articles to be carriedthereon, and means for carrying the container comprising a handle havingend portions projecting downwardly into the opening in the container andmeans for connecting the handle to said sheet of flexible material.

2. A novelty of the kind described comprising a container formed ofedible chocolate, the container having an upwardly presented openingadapted to receive articles to be carried in the container, thecontainer having an inturned lip around said opening, a sheet offlexible material extended across the container opening with its edgesengaged under the inturned lip around the opening, said sheet beinglarger than said opening and having radially extending peripHerallyspaced cuts in the edge of the sheet so that the sheet may be disheddownwardly into the container with its edge engaged under the lip andthereby define a dished receptacle for receiving articles to be carriedthereon, and means for carrying the container comprising a handle havingend portions projecting downwardly into the opening in the container andmeans for connecting the handle to said sheet of flexible material.